Forum Discussion
Access doesn't close properly. A remaining background process can only be terminated in task manager
Since yesterday I noticed that in all my Access databases there is a problem when I close them.
When I close a database, it leaves a background process that can only be terminated in Task Manager. Without this, it is not possible to (re)open databases!
I have already checked some possible causes. It also concerns databases that I have not changed at all in recent months and that worked fine until this week. Therefore, I have to assume that it is a bug in an automatic update!
It seems that it has to do with a malfunction in the deallocation of allocated memory in VBA source code.
Did anyone experience the same problem? Are there already fixes or solutions available?
- Yes, here also the update available (Europe). Tested en fix the problem. Trusted Location not necessary any more. But I highly recommend it. Otherwise you will have problem starting from April. MS is blocking marcos. Check https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/microsoft-365-blog/helping-users-stay-safe-blocking-internet-macros-by-default-in/ba-p/3071805
189 Replies
- I have been getting the same errors since office was updated to "Microsoft® Access® for Microsoft 365 MSO (Version 2408 Build 16.0.17928.20114) 64-bit"
I have rolled back to the previous version "Version 2407 (Build 17830.20166)" and the problem is resolved.
This database was working fine until it updated to the latest version.- Take a look at https://www.devhut.net/another-msaccess-exe-process-not-closing-properly-bug/ , specifically the Workarounds section.
I hope this helps.
Hi,
Since this problem has been occurring extremely often recently and is being discussed in various forums, we published a documenting AFo article and drew Microsoft's attention to it. Microsoft's Access team is currently investigating the problem. We will update the article as soon as there are any new developments.
Servus
Karl
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Access Forever
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Access-Entwickler-Konferenz AEKHi,
Today we could make an important update to our documenting article when Microsoft informed us that they are planning a fix for the next Office update to version 2405, which will be released in about 2 weeks.
Let's hope that all variants will be fixed with it. Testing this will then be the job of those affected.Servus
Karl
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Access Forever
Access News
Access DevCon
Access-Entwickler-Konferenz AEKHi,
Microsoft has released a fix with version 2405 in the Current Channel. Our documenting article has the details. If you were affected by the bug, please let us know if the fix resolves the problem for you.
Servus
Karl
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Access Forever
Access News
Access DevCon
Access-Entwickler-Konferenz AEK
- Karl: Special thanks to you for drawing the many aspects of this problem together and initiating a solution. Also, a tip of the hat to lsadogs and the many others who have helped trace the source to something reproducible. Let's hope this is the lead, MS needs to put a stake in the heart of the zombie so never emerges in any of the other circumstances Karl has curated. Got my fingers crossed!
Just for clarification, for complicated reasons, my replies are listed as @Isladogs or @MendipDataSystems depending on which workstation I reply on! I'd love to be able to sort that out!
Karl wrote the article based on the evidence of various people here and other forums. The most important thing was being able to reliably reproduce at least one cause - in this case the Ease Of Access text cursor indicator which was first reported by CampDirector and later confirmed by several of us
I have experienced the same problem. When I terminate the running process and open the database from within the Access interface then the program opens and when I close it the running process terminates. However, when I try to double click on the database file in windows explorer the database does not open. I can at that point still open the database from within Access but then when I close the database the process remains running the the record locking file remains open. If I then terminate the task manager process and again open and close the database from within Access, the record locking file closes.
- This is a slight variation on infrequent problem, but one which seems to occur consistently once it appears in a particular accdb. Unfortunately I have not found a resolution and a discussion in a group of current and former Access MVPs did not yield any definitive answers or suggestions.
George_Hepworth The only and final solution is a button and docmd.quit acsaveall.
- killing Grammerly worked for me. I recently installed the Grammarly Desktop version and then I got the zombie Access process described here. This thread helped me solve the problem. Grammarly Desktop is not responding to the Access close event and is keeping it open in the background - naughty!
Hi KiwiMarkNZ, Thanks for letting us know about the solution you found. Unfortunately I am not a Grammarly user and have never installed it. However, reading the thread, I was reminded that disabling EoAExperiences.exe solved the problem for me. I plan to try that again.Nononono, this should not at all be an issue. One says this, one says that. The fact remains:
If you have an Access Database with certain code in it, certainly some ActiveX components, which are MS supported, logically the Database should close properly, when clicking the close button.
This is not happening, and it is not Microsoft's doing, it is impossible to anticipate all behaviours or all possible outcomes when a user (the person that made the database first of all), has not determined his or her, cause of the problem.
I know that somewhere, over the years, I added so much code, references, non-updated or, - not anymore compatible of properly closing - objects, controls, data, etcetera...
So I know I have to close MS Access, MS doesn't. So If make a button, with the docmd.quit SaveAll and the work is done.
Remove the cross to close the database, so there is no discussion possible of how to close my db.
close access with a button on your form invoking this event, it always works, of course a non saved record, will not be saved.
x = Shell ("cmd.exe /c TASKKILL /F /IM msaccess.exe")As Coskerk says "This issue got resolved last year. MS released a bad version of Access. Once the released the fixed version everything was fine and back to normal."
The issue disappeared for me about 8 months ago after MS issued an update. My updated Access installs have been operating without this issue for quite some time.
Karl Donaubaur was correct when he cited an MS update as the source of the problem shortly after it happened. I well remember the panic it created.
- How come I still have the issue then?
- Not all of our apps were leaving tasks behind. If quit was NOT in the same function called via Autoexec then the would be an orphan task. An hourly scheduled task which was problematic stopped producing orphans when its quit was moved into the top level function. (Access 365)
- I think it may be time to have another pair of eyes on your application and trace the program flow to isolate the problem(s). This does not appear to be an Access problem per se but rather a coding issue.
- It is not my application but an ancient legacy one that started leaving orphaned tasks. My only change was to delete one quit command in a sub-function which was already covered in the initial autoexe function and not needed.
We are experiencing this same behavior in Version 2207 now, and no possible Trusted Folder/File combination fixes it... I confirmed it has nothing to do with any code updates by opening a version from May that worked just fine previously that exhibited the same behavior of leaving a ghost process.
- I have just started experiencing the same in 2209 (Build 15629.20208 Click-to-run 32 bit).
At first, I thought it was my project.
However, I can create a brand new accdb file and add a form, which will then open and close without issue. As soon as I whack a button on said form and save it, I get the issue. Access removes the lock file on close, but leaves the process open. Hi,
ToddP What is your Office Build No?
Did you try to revert to the previous build? (see Daniel's description or Microsoft's)
If the problem does not occur with the previous build, that would be a strong indication of an update bug.
Servus
Karl
Access News
Access DevCon- Reverted to 15330.20230 and it's still leaving a process running in the background, but at least I can re-open the files successfully and it doesn't add a process each time the file is opened.
Then I reverted to 15330.20196 and it does the same thing.
Now I'm thinking that this has just been going on longer than I thought.
My concern with these processes running is what state is the file actually in when just killing the process. Or is there something else causing this?
Florian1290
I have same issue, and partially resolved. Any chance you are using an AutoExec Macro that is opening a form. I have found that when the AutoExec macro that loads a form it caused me issues. I moved the form opening to the access settings level and I am able to open and reopen databases again. The background process does not go away, but the file locks do. Hope this helps while MS fixes this critical bug.<Any chance you are using an AutoExec Macro that is opening a form>
No.
Placing the Access file in trusted location fixed the issue for us.
Microsoft has now released the fix.
STATUS: FIXED
This issue has been fixed in Version 2201 (Build 14827.20192)
You can manually force an Office update to get the fix.
Wesport Read the contributions here and the Microsoft support article. The bug has been fixed for two days.
Servus
Karl
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Access News
Access DevConKarl_Donaubauer Thank you Karl! Did not realize that. Much appreciated.
Florian1290 Looks like the issue is resolved!!! I just downloaded Build 14827.20192 and Access is once again functioning correctly. I just hate it when they break the intrinsic functionality of this app. I hope they realize how many people use and rely on this app and are more careful to not break it with their updates. I have over 50 critical apps in my organization and it is quite traumatic when this happens.
- It's an established unofficial rumor that MS was considering to dump Access, or rather wanted to replace it with more profitable programs. But there are simply too many developers using this great tool.
- "Established" meaning some people love to repeat it. "Unofficial" meaning other people made it up to justify their own agenda against Access.
I think there IS some truth to the proposition that Microsoft would rather make more money than less money (...more profitiable...), if possible. But then, that's true of about 99% of businesses in the world. Those that would prefer to be less profitable have other motives.
It is a bug. Change the file name without "_", or with a short file name (without any special characters. Florian1290
